Toss the Guidebook. Hit the Streets

Road Warrior provides travel tips from those who know best: busy executives and other globetrotters. See previous columns

MetLife

Kevin Wilkey is the head of Asia legal at life insurer MetLife in Hong Kong.

The Kansas native talks about Paris’ best udon, being stuck in a snowstorm in Tibet, and how to navigate Hong Kong taxis even if you don’t speak Cantonese.

How often are you up in the air?

Twice a month.

Where do you go most often?

New York, Paris, London and Australia. In Asia, Japan, Korea, China, India, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Favorite hotel?

The Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo. I love the modern vibe, especially when looking out at Tokyo. I can feel the pulse of the city, gazing at all the railway lines, buildings and overhead expressways. Inside the hotel, one also gets a feeling of spaciousness, which is often hard to find in Japan.

Favorite airline?

Cathay Pacific [Airways]. The new business class is much more spacious and has a better entertainment system. The airline has a wide network. I like the new lounge. I love having a coffee in the back, and maybe an ice cream. The service is great.

Best airline seats?

The seats on the aisle with the most legroom. I bring along my own noise-reduction headphones. It cancels out all unnecessary chatter, making the experience more pleasant.

Frequent-flier program?

Cathay Pacific.

Favorite airport?

Incheon [near Seoul]. Everything works like clockwork. The spaces are immaculate, clean and beautiful.

Preferred luggage?

Carry-on. Waiting for luggage at the end of a long trip can be frustrating.

Apps can be very convenient but also condemn you to spending even more time with your mobile phone. However, the Hong Kong Taxi Translator app, which translates to Cantonese and shows the characters for streets, is extremely helpful. Google Maps and other maps are essential for navigating Seoul and Tokyo, where street addresses don’t provide much help.

What’s your best travel advice?

Don’t be wedded to a guidebook. Try to enjoy life as those who live there do. Walking the streets is the best way to get to know a city. As the world gets smaller and more uniform, it is most interesting to try to find something unique about where you travel. I love studying foreign languages—French, German, Russian, Chinese, Korean—and like to try to speak the local language when overseas as much as I can.

How do you stay fit while traveling?

I go to the gym as much as possible and try not to overeat. Walking, instead of taking a taxi, helps. However, in any unfamiliar city, it’s always best to be vigilant.

Most memorable travel experience?

Tibet. I was stranded on the top of a 15,000-foot pass in the middle of a snowstorm, faced with having to rescue only the dearest belongings and trudging in the snow to the nearest village some miles away. Fortunately, we were able to cram 10 people into a passing jeep. Once across the pass, all was sunny and bright.

What’s left on the bucket list?

Antarctica, Africa, Latin America, and Samarkand [Uzbekistan]. Unfortunately, a number of the places like Syria, Iraq, Iran and Libya aren’t the most accessible places to visit these days.

Favorite city?

Paris. I visit as often as possible for the cafes, the streets, the architecture, the food and the wines. It’s where my favorite udon restaurant, Kunitoraya, is located.

Favorite restaurant/bar?

Fan Tang in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay. It’s a relatively small restaurant. Some of my favorites are the corn and salted egg yolk fritters, and the sirloin beef cubes with garlic appetizers. The choy sum in claypot is amazing as is their tai tse gai fried chicken. Lunch and dinner here never disappoints. For bars, MO Bar at Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong is always a central place to meet people and hang out.

Which city has the best taxis?

Hong Kong. It’s usually possible to get a taxi, which is the main determinant. New York is not far behind. London cabs are, of course, the most comfortable, while Paris is about the hardest place to get a taxi.